ATLANTA, Ga.- Amari Heard and Ta'Quasia Lampkin both had their fifth double-doubles of the season but it would not be enough as the Savannah State University women's basketball team dropped a 65-55 decision to Clark Atlanta University in a game played February 10, 2024 at Epps Gymnasium.
 
It was not the homecoming Heard, who played at Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia, wanted.
 
Heard had 14 points, 11 rebounds and three assists while Lampkin finished the contest with 10 points to compliment her game-highs in rebounds (15) and steals (3).
 
The loss snapped the Lady Tigers five game winning streak. SSU remains atop the standings in the SIAC East with a 16-5 overall record and a 12-4 conference mark.
 
CAU outscored Savannah State 12-8 in the opening quarter.
 
Lady Tigers were down by four in the second quarter but used two free throws and a layup from Nyla Allen to tie the game at 17 with 6:34 left before halftime.
 
SSU was down three with four and a half minutes remaining but Clark Atlanta was able to close the half with a 11-4 run to take a 34-24 lead into intermission.
 
CAU increased their lead to 39-27 in the third quarter before Savannah State answered with a free throw and a jumper from Heard and jumpers by Mya Byrd and Jashiyah Jones to close their gap to five with 4:20 remaining.
 
The Panthers responded and went ahead by ten but SSU finished the quarter with back-to-back 3 pointers by Byrd to make the score 46-42.
 
Clark Atlanta scored the first basket of the fourth quarter and with 2:36 remaining they held a 57-45 lead on Savannah State.
 
A free throw by Lampkin and a layup by Heard whittled SSU's deficit down to nine but the Lady Tigers could not get any closer the rest of the way.
 
SSU out-rebounded the Panthers 45 to 35 and had 14 second chance points and scored 28 points in the paint.
 
The Lady Tigers also scored 15 points off of 12 CAU turnovers.
 
Byrd, a transfer from Georgia State, had 11 points and three assists and Allen chipped in ten points.
 
Jones along with Jacquece Alston, who hails from Fairburn, Georgia, scored four points while Talia Hamilton had two points.
 
Corriana Evans had 17 points for CAU (12-9, 9-7 SIAC).
 
Savannah State will close the regular season with a three game homestand, starting on February 17 against Edward Waters University at 2 p.m.